A TikTok video of a 'ghost mall' in Malaysia went viral this summer. I spent a day there and found the area's problems run even deeper.

Marielle DescalsotaDec 31, 2022, 19:13 IST

Inside a closed-down restaurant at Malakat Mall.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Cyberjaya has been dubbed Malaysia's Silicon Valley, but without much to show for it.
A mall in the city went viral on TikTok for being a deserted "ghost mall."

Malaysia's Malakat Mall holds the dubious claim to fame of having gone viral on TikTok as a "ghost mall."

The interior of Malakat Mall.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

In late November, I traveled from Singapore to Cyberjaya to check out the mall myself. Was it really as empty as Aqlan's video made it seem, I wondered, or did he just catch it on a bad day?

Inside Malakat Mall.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

In late November, I traveled from Singapore to Cyberjaya to check out the mall myself. Was it really as empty as Aqlan's video made it seem, I wondered, or did he just catch it on a bad day?

I arrived at the mall on a weekday afternoon, expecting it to be deserted.

Malakat Mall in Cyberjaya.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

I didn't see anyone shopping in the boutiques. Most of the people I saw at the mall were the ones quietly manning shops.

Prayer space inside Malakat Mall.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

The liveliest place in the whole mall was Te Amo Cafe.

Te Amo Cafe.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

I spoke to one man who owns an art boutique in the mall. The colorful shop struck a contrast with the sleek, minimalist interior of the mall.

Abdul Ghafur Haji.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

While the mall didn't have many customers, I was struck by the lively camaraderie among the staffers working there.

Inside a closed-down restaurant at Malakat Mall.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

The mall is located in an area called CBD Perdana 3.

An empty lot in CBD Perdana.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

The deeper I went into CBD Perdana 3, the more I realized how deeply in trouble businesses in the area were.

Shuttered lots in CBD Perdana.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

I walked the entire first floor of the vicinity, and found only one business in operation: a kindergarten.

Rows of shuttered businesses in CBD Perdana 3.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Just opposite these shuttered lots were tall glass walls that showed how deserted the entire space was.

Empty lots in CBD Perdana.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Malakat Mall isn't the only "ghost mall" in Cyberjaya, a city once touted as the Silicon Valley of Malaysia.

Cyberjaya, Malaysia.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

As CBD Perdana 3's name implies, it's one of three similar areas. When I checked out CBD Perdana 2, I found that it, too, was full of vacant spaces.

Vacated lots in CBD Perdana 2.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

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A TikTok video of a 'ghost mall' in Malaysia went viral this summer. I spent a day there and found the area's problems run even deeper.

Malaysia's Malakat Mall holds the dubious claim to fame of having gone viral on TikTok as a "ghost mall."

In late November, I traveled from Singapore to Cyberjaya to check out the mall myself. Was it really as empty as Aqlan's video made it seem, I wondered, or did he just catch it on a bad day?

I arrived at the mall on a weekday afternoon, expecting it to be deserted.

I didn't see anyone shopping in the boutiques. Most of the people I saw at the mall were the ones quietly manning shops.

The liveliest place in the whole mall was Te Amo Cafe.

I spoke to one man who owns an art boutique in the mall. The colorful shop struck a contrast with the sleek, minimalist interior of the mall.

While the mall didn't have many customers, I was struck by the lively camaraderie among the staffers working there.

The mall is located in an area called CBD Perdana 3.

The deeper I went into CBD Perdana 3, the more I realized how deeply in trouble businesses in the area were.

I walked the entire first floor of the vicinity, and found only one business in operation: a kindergarten.

Just opposite these shuttered lots were tall glass walls that showed how deserted the entire space was.

Malakat Mall isn't the only "ghost mall" in Cyberjaya, a city once touted as the Silicon Valley of Malaysia.

As CBD Perdana 3's name implies, it's one of three similar areas. When I checked out CBD Perdana 2, I found that it, too, was full of vacant spaces.